Footwear insert



s. MARGEL' 2,244,844

FOOTWEAR INSERT l June l0, 1941.

Filed Aug.l 11; 1959 STOCKNG INVENTOR BfA/m MAME-f.'

E A ORNEY Patented June 10,1941

UNITED STATE-s `Pll'rlazNT OFFICE 2,244,344 l Foo'l'wnlm rNsEn'r sm Margel, New York, N. Y.

applicati@ August 11, 1939, serial No. 289,561

2Claims.

I'his invention relates generally to footwear; More particularly, my invention relates to an improved type of insert adapted 'foruse with footwear.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a, footwear insert of the character described which shall be sanitary, which shall protect the foot from irritation due to the frictional engagement of the shoe or slipper, which shall have a cooling effect on the foot and which shall also 'be adapted for use as a therapeutic agent.

Another object ofmy invention is to provide a footwear insert of the character described which shall comprise relatively few and simple parts, which shall be easy to assemble, relatively inexpensive tg manufacture and which at the same time/shall possess a high degree of effectiveness 1n use Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts vwhich will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing. in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken sub- .stantially along the longitudinal axis thereof and illustrating the positioning of the insert of my invention; Y

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of an insert constructed in accordance .with my invention with portions of the layers removed to reveal the construction thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged eros-sectional view taken I substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a tcp plan view, partly in perspective, of a modified form of my invention; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 8 of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is disclosed a footwear insert constructed in accord-Y ance with my invention and-comprising a Vplurality of superimposed layers of material having the form of an insert Il. The insert Il comprises a relatively thick innerlayer Il of Cellobe sumciently resilient to prevent cracking. 'An

outerlayerI2ofoilsilknlaterlalisdisposedon' onesldeotthelayerlrandasecondouterlayer .so pnane, Celluloid or similar material designed sov thatitwillholditssha'peandatthesame'time' Il of cheesecloth, gauze or snilar open weave or porous material is disposed on the opposite side of the layer Il from that of the layer l2.

T he` three layers Il, I2 and Il may be perma- 5 nently joined at their peripheries by any suitable means such as, for example, the stitching I5. If desired, a pad I6 carrying any suitable medication may be interposed between the cheesecloth layer Il and the Cellophane layer Il. The said pad I6 may be of a size coextensive with the insert l0 or it may be made of such size as to treat only certain local areas of the foot. The medication provided in the pad I8 may be of the type fully described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 282,523, filed July 1, 1939, for Therapeutic plastic composition. It is also noted in 3 of the drawing that the medicated pad I6 may be built up to a higher level in the area of the arch of the foot, if desired.

When the insert I0 is used without the medicated pad I6, thesame may be inserted in the shoe to lie between the stocking of the wearer and the shoe insole or the same may be placed between the foot of the wearer and the stocking, with one of the outer surfaces I2 or Il directly contacting the bare foot. When the insert is used with the medicated pad I6, it should then preferably be placed between the stocking and the foot with the cheesecloth layer Il directly contacting the bare foot.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown a modified form of my invention in which the insert IU' comprises the same type of inner layer made of Cellophane, Celluloid or similar material and which is cut to substantially the same shape as a shoe insole with the exception of the front toe portion thereof which is provided with a pair of spaced 'projecting portionsv 2.a and 20h with a cut out area S therebetween, the function of which will soon become apparent. A pair of outer layers 2| and 22 are provided which may be made of oil silk material and which are disposed on opposite sides of the layer 2li. The layers 2l and 22 may be attached to each other by the peripheral row ofstitching 2l to form a pocket in which the f layer 2l is held captive. It is noted that the por- ,tional/.vf the outer layers 2l and 22 overlying the S are not cut out as was the case with the VYlayer 2l-and there is thus' formed-a portion -of the laminated sole structure coextensive with the S which is thinner, more pliable and 'softenthan the remainder of theinsert Il. By

Y the vabove described construction, it is seen that when the insert Il' is positioned between the V.' swckingandthebarefootassumingittobethe right foot, the area between the projections 20a and 20h may be folded over to overlie the toes so that should the wearer have a corn, the same would not be unnecessarily compressed as would be the case if the relatively stiff Cellophane layer were to directly overlie the corn.

If desired, a cup-shaped ap 24 may be attached at the front toe portion on theyside opposite to that of the extensions 20a and 20h, the said iiap 2l being permanently attached to the insert I0' by any suitable means such as a row of stitching. This cup-shaped flap is designed to be in the area of the foot where bunions occur, so that a suitable medicated pad such as the type disclosed in my said co-pending application may be inserted underneath the iiap 24 to overlie the said bunion and thus relieve the same.

For the purpose of maintaining the ap 24 and the area S in proper position, a tape 25 may be provided, one end of which is attached to the 20 insert lll' adjacent the flap 24, the'said tape being designed to be wrapped around the foot and the end received in a corresponding suitable loop 26 disposed adjacent the projection 20h. If desired, there may also be provided an upstanding heel protecting ap 30 of similar laminated construction as that of the insert l0'.

While in the Figs. 4 and 5 form of my invention, I have shown the outer layers 2| and 22 of the same material, namely oil silk, it is understood that this form of my invention may also be made in accordance with the disclosure shown in Figs. 1 to 3 in which onev layer may be of cheesecloth and the other layer may be of oil silk. It is also noted that in the Fig. 4 form of my invention, a medicated pad I6 may also be employed ,in a manner similar to that described in connection with the Figs. 1 to 3 form of invention. In this latter case, instead of the cheesecloth layer, the top layer 2| of oil silk may be perforated`to permit the medicament to directly contact the bare foot.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a.

device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. As an article of manufacture, a footwear insert comprising a. relatively thick layer of Ce1' lophane and a pair of relatively thin layers of oil silk disposed on opposite sides of said Cellophane layer, said layers being substantially of the shape of an insole with the exception of a portion thereof adjacent the toe portion extending outwardly beyond the normal sole contour, said Cellophane layer being providedwith a cut out notch disposed inwardly from the edge of said outwardly extending portion' to provide an area relatively thinner and softer than the remaining portions of said insert for the purposes set forth.

2. As an article of manufacture, a footwear insert comprising a relatively thick layer of Cellophane, a pair of relatively thinlayers of oil silk disposed on opposite sides of said Cellophane layer, said layers being substantially of the shape of an insole with the exception of a` portion thereof adjacent the toel portion extending outwardly beyond the normal sole contour. said Cellophane layer being provided with a cut out notch disposed inwardly from the edge of said outwardly extending portion to provide an area relatively thinner and softer than the remaining portions of said insert for the purposes set forth, and a foldable ap attached to said insert at the opposite side thereof from said extending portion.

SARA MARGEL. 

